New database created by ABA Criminal Justice Section charts state-by-state conviction restrictions
Screenshot from the NICCC website.
Got a client who is wondering what career repercussions and other restrictions will result from a criminal conviction?
A free database developed by the American Bar Association Criminal Justice Section under the Court Security Improvement Act now provides the answer to that question, the ABA announced Tuesday.
Paid for by a National Institute of Justice grant and the section’s own funds, the National Inventory of the Collateral Consequences of Conviction website asks users to click on a state on a map. That provides a chart listing applicable statutes in that state; the consequences each imposes on an offender; and the duration of the restrictions.
In addition to assisting lawyers providing counsel to clients, the ABA predicts that lawmakers, advocacy groups and the general public will also find the website useful.
The ABA is among those who support consideration of the Uniform Collateral Consequences of Conviction Act. It is intended to help limit collateral sanctions that don’t correspond to the nature of the conviction, consistent with public safety, as the announcement of the new database explains
“While some collateral consequences of conviction serve meaningful public safety goals, many only limit a formerly incarcerated person’s ability to find work and reintegrate into society,” said ABA President William C. Hubbard. “This, in turn, imposes high social and economic costs including increased crime, increased victimization, increased family distress, and increased pressure on already-strained state and municipal budgets.”
Related coverage:
ABA Journal: “Ex-offenders face tens of thousands of legal restrictions, bias and limits on their rights”
